War as a marketing opportunity: The tobacco industry and the U.S. military

Background: Rates of tobacco use in the military are higher than those among civilians, likely due in part to target marketing by the tobacco industry. Smoking decreases personnel readiness and increases training and health care costs. Methods: We searched the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library (http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/index.html) for documents relating to industry activities during the first Gulf War (1990-1991). Results: Despite military rules prohibiting free cigarettes, at least 10,000 cartons were sent to deployed troops via military planes and distributed by the USO. RJ Reynolds sponsored a program which sent the troops donated magazines with Reynolds' name on the front, and a Camel ad on the back. The Department of Defense put a disclaimer of DOD sponsorship on the covers, but paid for the magazines' distribution. Philip Morris' “Marlboro Voice Card” program let family of deployed personnel record a message onto a chip in a greeting card showing “a scene out of Marlboro Country.” Tobacco companies also sent shipments of branded premium items, such as Camel playing cards, cassettes, and sunglasses. At the conclusion of hostilities, PM and Reynolds sponsored heavily branded “Welcome Home” events. A 1992 DOD report found that 23% of those serving in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm increased, resumed, or started smoking during that service. Discussion: The tobacco industry, aided by the military and civilian groups, used the war for marketing. Whether similar activities are currently taking place is unknown, but public health should be cognizant of the vulnerabilities of troops to such efforts during wartime.